Affordable Ultimate Ears

Ultimate Ears has been producing some wonderful earphones. You can read about our thoughts on one pair here. But, they're usually quite pricey, and folks might shy away from them, fearing losing or damaging a costly investment.

Two new models are out. The $49.99 MetroFi 170 and the $79.99 MetroFi 220. There are also two new smartphone-compatible models with mics built into the headphone cables.

Like their more expensive relatives, these come with a variety of ear tips so you can fit them properly for your individual ear. Once inserted with a good fit, you can get 16 dB of sound isolation. This is cool - instead of forcing you to search frantically for a tiny "R" or "L" to determine left and right, the right earcup has a slight red tone. Get it — red for right.

For those with deeper pockets, an iPhone-compatible version of the company's Triple.fi 10 is available. Start saving up — it retails for $419.99. --Leslie Shapiro